There’s still Susan Collins, I suppose. It’s certainly remarkable, though. Lowell Weicker and Jim Jeffords and Lincoln Chafee became independents. Chris Shays and Rob Simmons were unable to win primaries against a woman who is best known for participating in staged cat fights on television. Massachusetts hasn’t elected a Republican to the House since 1994.

I believe that, like Bob Dole (not a New Englander, obviously), Rudman was considered a conservative for most of his career. By today’s standards he might be a moderate. But he was no Lowell Weicker or John Chafee. To put that ADA score from 1984 in a little perspective, here are the scores of other New England Senate Republicans that year:

Rudman was certainly moderate for NH Senator. But it’s still worth noting that eleven GOP Senators that year scored 50 or higher on the ADA’s ratings.

Meanwhile, six Senate Democrats scored fifty or lower.

Two things worth noting about this: 1) the real ideological overlap between the parties and 2) the fact that the GOP was arguably a bit more ideologically diverse than the Democrats (even with the latter party still including some old-fashioned Boll Weavils).

WASHINGTON—Saying the now critically endangered species of politician is at high risk for complete extinction within the next 10 years, Beltway-area conservationists announced plans Monday for a new captive breeding program designed to save moderate Republicans.

According to members of the Initiative to Protect the Political Middle (IPPM), centrist Republicans, who once freely roamed the nation calling for both economic deregulation and a return to Reagan-era tax rates on the wealthy, are in dire need of protection, having lost large portions of their natural terrain to the highly territorial Evangelical and Tea Party breeds.

“Our new program is designed to isolate the few remaining specimens of moderate Republicans, mate them in captivity, and then safely release these rare and precious creatures back into the electorate,” said IPPM’s Cynthia Rollins, who traces the decline of the species to changes in the political climate and rampant, predatory fanaticism. “Within our safe, enclosed habitats, these middle-of-the-road Republican Party members can freely support increased funding for public education and even gay rights without being threatened by the far-right subgenus.”